


Christmas Coffee Rescue

by Ultra



Series: The Literati Advent Calendar 2019 [1]
Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Christmas, Coffee, Coffee Shops, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 20:15:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21604639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: What better place for Rory & Jess to meet than outside a coffee shop?
Relationships: Rory Gilmore & Jess Mariano, Rory Gilmore/Jess Mariano
Series: The Literati Advent Calendar 2019 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2020225
Kudos: 25





	Christmas Coffee Rescue

_December 2008_

“No, no, no, no, no!”

She reached the coffee shop just as the door closed and the sign was turned around, proving they were not opening again until the next morning. From inside, the one unpleasant member of staff was wearing a self-satisfied smile, seeing Rory miss her last chance for the most delicious coffee in town. That made her all the more mad.

“What happened to the Christmas spirit?!” Rory asked out loud, kicking the wall and huffing out a sigh.

“I’m sure it’s alive and kicking somewhere,” said a guy on the other side of the closed door. “You really that desperate for coffee?”

“You have no idea.” Rory sighed one more time, wrapping her arms around herself against the bitter wind and turning to go.

“Here,” said the same guy from behind her.

Rory turned back to find the stranger holding out his own to-go cup in her direction.

“Merry Christmas,” he said with a smile that made her stomach flip - he was actually seriously cute now that she really looked at him, but still a stranger, of course.

“It’s fine,” she assured him, waving away his offer. “I’ll just... make coffee at home.”

“It won’t taste like Marco’s,” he said definitely.

“You’re right, it really won’t,” Rory admitted, eyeing the steaming cup and practically licking her lips just imagining how good it would taste. “He is a cut above the rest.”

“So, take it,” the stranger insisted. “I promise I haven’t taken a sip. It’s in the exact condition as when it was handed to me at the counter and, weirdly, Little Miss Acid Attitude in there actually seems to like me, so at least you know she didn’t spit in it.”

Rory frowned. “I know this probably sounds lame, and I’m sure you’re a nice guy...”

“But I’m a stranger offering you a drink in the middle of the dark New York Street,” said the guy, smirking hard. “It’s not lame, but also, I’m not a freak, I promise,” he told her, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a card to hand to her.

Rory took it in both hands and read the words aloud. “Jess Mariano, Author and Publisher, Truncheon Books... Wait a second,” Rory stopped, looking up at him. “You’re Jess Mariano? You wrote _The Subsect_!”

“You read _The Subsect_?” he countered. “Huh. Small world.” 

“The smallest.” Rory chuckled. “Wow. Jess Mariano. What are the odds of meeting you like this? Damnit, I wish I had your book with me, I could ask you to sign it.”

“You want me to sign the coffee cup?” he checked, smirking still.

“That’s not necessary,” Rory assured him, though she did take the offered cup this time and drank deep of the contents. “Wow. So, so good. Thank you,” she told Jess, “but I should really reimburse you or something-”

“Forget about it,” he told her, waving away her concern. “Anything for a fan.”

“I said I read your book, I never said I was a fan,” she countered, though the smile wouldn’t shift from her face when she said it. “Maybe sometime I could buy you a coffee here, you know, when they’re actually open? If you have the time.”

“Sure, that’d be cool,” Jess agreed. “You do realise I don’t know your name, right?”

“Oh, it’s Rory. Rory Gilmore. The strange girl with the coffee obsession,” she explained, rolling her eyes.

“Merry Christmas, Rory Gilmore,” he said, turning to walk away.

“Merry Christmas!” she called behind him, just knowing it was going to be somehow.


End file.
